Sarah Palin tried to explain her Russia-is-close-to-Alaska-so-therefore-I-have-foreign-policy-experience comment to Katie Couric Thursday night.

During part two of Palin’s interview with the "CBS Evening News" anchor, John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate and Alaska governor also talked about why she never got a passport until last year, her meetings with foreign heads of state at the United Nations this week and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Palin, 44, has never visited Russia and had never traveled outside North America until last year. She also had never met a foreign leader until her trip this week to New York. She has come under heavy criticism for that lack of experience, and is expected to have a tough fight in next month’s debate against Sen. Joe Biden, D-DE, Barack Obama’s running mate.

During Palin’s first major interview with ABC on September 11, she was asked what insight she had gained from living so close to Russia. She said: "They’re our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

The comment was the butt of many jokes, not least of which on a "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring actress Tina Fey. Appearing as Palin, she proclaimed, "I can see Russia from my house!"

Here’s part of the interview:

Couric: You’ve cited Alaska’s proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?

Palin: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and, on our other side, the land-boundary that we have with Canada. It’s funny that a comment like that was kinda’ made to … I don’t know, you know … reporters.

Couric: Mocked?

Palin: Yeah, mocked, I guess that’s the word, yeah.

Couric: Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign-policy credentials.

Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there …

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.